UAE Private Research Articles

Total Quality Management and Corporate Social Responsibility (TQM-CSR) Measurement Items Design and Pilot Test

Objectives: This study aims to design and validate integrated TQM-CSR practices for Private Higher Education Institutions in the UAE, enhancing institutional excellence and stakeholder satisfaction. Methods: An empirical study was conducted, involving 30 Private Higher Education Institutions in the UAE. The methodology included survey-based data collection, statistical analysis, and reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha). Key modifications included the refinement of the TQM-CSR practices measurement scale, through outer loading analysis and item elimination. Findings: The study revealed strong consensus on the effectiveness of integrated TQM-CSR practices in PHEIs, with average scores between 3.77 and 4.22. Particularly effective were practices in Social and Legal Concerns and Educational Services Improvement. The robustness of these practices was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.826 to 0.927. The analysis led to the removal of less effective items (CIP5, SFS5), refining the measurement scale. These findings offer significant insights for educational administrators on improving quality management and social responsibility, diverging from and enriching existing literature. Novelty: This study pioneers in empirically validating TQM-CSR integration for quality management and social responsibility in UAE's private higher education sector. Keywords: Total Quality Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Higher Education, Measurement Development, UAE

Critical success factors of effective implementation of balanced scorecard and organisational performance: case of UAE private hospitals

Critical success factors of effective implementation of balanced scorecard and organisational performance: case of UAE private hospitals

Critical success factors of effective implementation of balanced scorecard and organisational performance: case of UAE private hospitals

Critical success factors of effective implementation of balanced scorecard and organisational performance: case of UAE private hospitals

An Insight on Medical Insurance Malpractices Prevailing in the Healthcare Industry and its Impact on Socio Economic Background – Special Reference to UAE Private Healthcare Industry

Purpose: Examine medical insurance malpractices in the UAE's private healthcare industry and assess their impact on the socio-economic landscape, focusing on the context of a rapidly growing economy and a diverse healthcare system.
 
 Theoretical framework: Situated within the dynamic framework of the UAE's expanding economy and healthcare sector, emphasizing the pivotal role of health insurance policies in providing medical coverage.
 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Employ a comprehensive research approach to uncover prevalent medical insurance malpractices within the private healthcare industry of the UAE. Analyze the effects of these practices on various socio-economic aspects.
 
 Findings: In the backdrop of an evolving healthcare landscape, the study reveals instances of malpractices within medical insurance in the UAE's private healthcare sector. These practices have implications for access to quality healthcare and the broader socio-economic fabric.
 
 Research, practical & social implications: The research outcomes hold significant implications for both policy makers and stakeholders within the healthcare industry. Addressing medical insurance malpractices is essential to ensure equitable access to healthcare services and to maintain a healthy socio-economic balance.
 
 Originality/Value: This study contributes to the understanding of the interplay between medical insurance malpractices and the socio-economic backdrop of the UAE's private healthcare industry. By shedding light on exploitative practices, the research highlights the need for regulatory measures to safeguard the well-being of both individuals and the nation's socio-economic landscape.

Gender managerial obstacles in private organizations: the UAE case

Purpose The purpose of this study is to report empirical research on gender managerial obstacles in UAE private organizations. It identifies the barriers that limit opportunities for gender equality promotion in managerial level positions. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were gathered from 384 female managers operating in UAE organizations using Survey Monkey and ANOVA for statistical analysis. Two variables (years of experience and industry) were used to compare the average means across the responses and the differences among the group. Findings The situation of gender equality in UAE management currently shows a positive trend. The females who participated in the survey have considerable work experience and jobs in a vital economic sector of the UAE industry. The earlier cultural stereotypes that worked against the interests of women in the UAE society are no longer relevant except for informal barriers and the level of cooperation among female leaders. We found differences among industry, service and transportation sectors in which gender managerial level in a private industry is dependent upon the number of years of experience for female managers. Research limitations/implications The limitation of the study is the online survey was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during the lockdown period in the spring of 2020, which led to a low number of participants responding to the questionnaire. Additionally, the survey did not include a nationality question to distinguish Emiratis from non-Emirati. Social implications This study indicates a need to coordinate UAE female leaders' actions to protect their rights, develop formal and informal mechanisms of gender inequality realization in business and promote professional skills, orientation on social networks, and mentoring programs for female leaders. These initiatives improve the positions of female leaders. Originality/value The study of the UAE case adds to the existing literature on gender studies because the survey-based research in the UAE context contributes to the limited knowledge of Middle Eastern countries. The females’ employment and their representation in managerial levels remain lower compared to males. Differences exist among the industry, service and transportation sectors.

Factors Influencing Students’ Achievements in the Content and Cognitive Domains in TIMSS 4th Grade Science and Mathematics in the United Arab Emirates

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a comparative international assessment study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS aims to study how educational opportunities are provided for students and what factors are associated with these opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine the student factors in the United Arab Emirates that have an association with grade 4 students’ TIMSS 2015 results in the content and cognitive domains in the subjects of mathematics and science. The study adopted the quantitative research approach through the data analysis of TIMSS 2015 for grade 4 students in these subjects. The study sample consisted of 21,177 students enrolled in 372 UAE private schools and 186 public schools. The percentage of grade 4 girls who participated in the study was 48%, while the percentage of boys was 52%. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the most influential student factors that impact on science and maths achievement. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was implemented to examine the relationships between student factors and the content and cognitive domains of mathematics and science in the TIMSS 2015 results. The findings showed that the student factors with a positive association with student achievement were having breakfast on school days, engaging teaching in mathematics lessons, liking learning science, and confidence in mathematics and science. There was a non-significant correlation between gender and mathematics and science achievement. A surprising finding was that “liking learning mathematics” had a negative association with student performance in that subject. There was a positive association between student engagement and mathematics achievement, while the association between the engagement in science lessons and student performance was found to be insignificant.

Prioritisation of factors influencing teachers' job satisfaction in the UAE

This study is the first to include four main factors with proven influence on teachers' job satisfaction in a comprehensive model for the UAE: motivation, school leadership style, job characteristics, and cultural intelligence (CQ). The objectives of this empirical study are (a) to provide an overview of the 20 sub-factors associated with each main factor, (b) to determine the preferences and priority that UAE private school teachers attribute to the four main factors of job satisfaction and their 20 sub-factors, and (c) to summarise these findings into a new analytical hierarchical model. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method has been chosen to resolve this multi-criteria decision-making dilemma to construct a comprehensive model. 'Recognition', 'pay', and 'autonomy' scored as the teachers' highest concerns. Focusing on these aspects should, therefore, be a priority for private school management in order to decrease teacher turnover.

Electronic contracts and torts in the UK and the UAE private international law

This paper explores the current legislation on private international law in the UK and the UAE in relation to electronic contracts and torts. It highlights issues responsible for deepening the uncertainty and confusion surrounding contracts and torts performed by electronic means - issues that remain unaddressed in UAE legislation. In particular, the paper addresses the absence of adequate provision for choice of law and jurisdiction in the environment of electronic consumer contract and torts. The UAE could address these issues by learning from the experience of the UK when making reforms and instigating future legislation. The paper concludes that, with regard to electronic consumer contracts, the UK provides superior legislation to that of the UAE.

Electronic contracts and torts in the UK and the UAE private international law

This paper explores the current legislation on private international law in the UK and the UAE in relation to electronic contracts and torts. It highlights issues responsible for deepening the uncertainty and confusion surrounding contracts and torts performed by electronic means - issues that remain unaddressed in UAE legislation. In particular, the paper addresses the absence of adequate provision for choice of law and jurisdiction in the environment of electronic consumer contract and torts. The UAE could address these issues by learning from the experience of the UK when making reforms and instigating future legislation. The paper concludes that, with regard to electronic consumer contracts, the UK provides superior legislation to that of the UAE.

Holistic Sustainability as Key to Emiratization: Links Between Job Satisfaction in the Private Sector and Young Emirati Adult Unemployment

This study examines factors leading to unemployment among young Emirati adults and new entrants to the workforce despite the abundant employment opportunities available in the UAE private sector. The study points out that new entrants to the workforce, including a growing number of college graduates, find few opportunities in the preferred but saturated public sector so they are faced with a three-part employment decision: considering employment in the private sector for a long-term career, entering the private sector temporarily, or remaining unemployed until an opportunity emerges in the public sector. The study sheds light on the obvious question, “Why would Emirati youth prefer to remain unemployed when so many private sector jobs are available?”, by examining and identifying factors for Emirati job satisfaction. More than 1,000 Emirati participants employed in both public and private sectors responded to a quantitative survey rating aspects of job satisfaction. Quantitative data, supported by open ended responses, indicated that culturally friendly work environments and flexibility to manage family responsibilities were the most important factors for job satisfaction and employment decisions most Emiratis and especially for Emirati women. The study concludes that the most important factor for young Emiratis, especially women, is a workplace aligned with the culture in which they operate embodying the concept of holistic sustainability. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201603021087

Re-thinking employment quotas in the UAE

Emiratization is a government policy aimed at increasing the share of native workers in the UAE private sector. A distinguishing feature of Emiratization is the use of employment quotas for native workers so that the policy objective is met. We study the impact of the labor quota and find that its effect on native employment is ambiguous. While an increase in the employment quota for native workers increases the share of native workers, it also reduces the industry's production and employment of labor. The policy implications of the employment quota are significant, and ways to mitigate its negative impact include calibrating an optimal quota to maximize native employment, implementing the quota in industries facing less elastic demand for outputs and in industries where native and expatriate labor are closer substitutes.

The political economy of emiratization in the UAE

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the difficulties of implementing emiratization, a policy that aims at increasing the participation of native workers in the UAE private sector by means of a government mandate. A second objective of the paper is to explore the conditions under which the emiratization policy can potentially increase the participation of native workers in the UAE private sector.Design/methodology/approach – An extension of the Ramsey Rule is used as a relevant application for this study to show that within the context of a break‐even constraint, any deviation between the wage rate and the marginal factor cost that is not proportional to the deviation between the marginal revenue product and the marginal factor cost could affect the firm labor demand and profitability.Findings – The theoretical models support the recommendations that the emiratization policy will tend to achieve some level of success in the short‐run, if implemented in firms that are operating in imperfect...

The pros and cons of inclusive education from the perceptions of teachers in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has always been keen to integrate students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. This study explores teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in the UAE mainstream schools. It also provides a basic background about the present types of programs and services offered within the UAE schools with respect to individuals with special needs. The main findings of this study which targeted 56 teachers who are involved in teaching students with disabilities in UAE private and public inclusive schools indicated that the participating teachers agreed in principle with the goals of inclusion, however, they were generally unsatisfied about the current practices of inclusion in their schools. These teachers reported that their schools have insufficient allowance for special equipment, resources and services; a limited number of certified special education personnel; a lack of proper training for teachers in mainstream classrooms, and a lack of clear guiding policies available in schools to deal with inclusion issues, even the senior-level administrators are not sufficiently knowledgeable with inclusion practices. Further, these teachers expressed common concerns such as teachers’ time taken away from the rest of the students, class size, and safety of children with special needs. Such teachers’ concerns might be justified as inclusion is relatively a new educational philosophy practiced in the country.